The Panthers have been on the clock since March 10, when a number of NFL insiders figured they knew which quarterback Carolina was targeting after trading up for the first pick.
It was the guy who’d gone up and down the field against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Eve.
But with less than three weeks before the start of the draft, there’s a growing buzz surrounding Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and the Panthers.
And for good reason, according to one of The Athletic’s draft experts.
“In my opinion, Bryce Young’s the best quarterback in the draft. So I think naturally he should be talked about quite a bit when it comes to the Panthers and what they might do at No. 1. It just comes down to are you comfortable with his size?” draft analyst Dane Brugler said Friday.
NFL observers — and maybe the Panthers, if they haven’t already — have 17 days to answer the C.J. Stroud versus Young debate. And while Stroud, the Ohio State quarterback, remains the betting favorite, the case for Young seems to be picking up steam.
While ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay recently mocked Stroud to Carolina, Chris Mortensen — the longtime NFL reporter who also works for ESPN — said last week he believes Young will be the pick.
